Item No. 1 of 1

INVESTIGATOR: Fraser, A.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, RHODE ISLAND DEPT OF
235 PROMENADE ST FL 3
PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND 029085725

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE - FARM AND RANCH STRESS ASSISTANCE NETWORK PROJECT TO ADDRESS AND REDUCE FARMER MENTAL HEALTH AND STRESS

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Non-technical SummaryMental health challenges in society are at an all-time high. The stress experienced by those in the Farm, Fisheries and Forestry (FFF) communities has a significant and widespread impact. Mental health issues that challenge the individual's ability to perform daily duties affects quality of life and can have a negative impact on their family and the community. This can lead to many issues such as loss of farms and fleets, loss of profits, and bankruptcies. Mental health challenges can also impact a person's physical health and can lead to drug and alcohol abuse and loss of life. Historically marginalized, LGBTQ+, Women and BIPOC farmers in both rural and urban communities have been found to have higher mental health challenges because of lack of support. In Rhode Island, the benefit of having a strong, healthy, and sustainable Farm, Fisheries and Forestry community is critical to the state because it supports sustainable food and supports the many businesses that rely on the FFF community such as farm equipment dealers, feed vendors, boat mechanics and a host of others. An additional benefit to the state includes the preservation of open space. Yet rising costs, shrinking profits, labor market challenges, lack of financial management skills and many other factors have resulted in high levels of anxiety, stress, drug use, suicide, and other mental health issues.Our program seeks to address mental health in the Farm, Fisheries and Forestry communities in multiple ways. The first would be to identify perform a needs assessment of the FFF community to understand the common mental health and stress challenges facing them. We want to be sure that we include the refugee and immigrant farmers and providers as they are our growing urban farm population. We are also looking to identify partners in the state to develop a RI-FRSAN based on the best practices of FRSAN-NE.The second focus would be to provide direct support to the FFF community by providing the community with an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that would have a 24/7 hotline and access for mental health services, crisis assistance, and information. Other direct support efforts would focus on economic skill building with support for business planning, financial planning, credit counseling and other trainings identified through the need's assessment. A voucher program will support the FFF community by focusing on a farmer's individual need that would reduce anxiety and stress such as wellness classes, childcare, or other needed resources. Also provided is direct support for apprentice programs that focus on woman, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, immigrant and refugee population.The third focus would be on specific training programs such as individual farm coaching, technology training and mental health and wellness training for service providers to identify the warning signs and learn strategies to support and communicate with the FFF population under stress.An effort to inform both FFF and their service providers about the opportunities available through this project will be done in multiple ways - through ads, social media campaigns, newsletters, articles, website, and meetings with stakeholders and professional service organizations and local agencies. Special outreach efforts will be made to inform our underserved population.It is important that organizations that support the FFF community work together to provide the most comprehensive support and this support must include mental health and stress assistance. Through these partnerships, trainings, interventions, educational programing, peer networking, screening, awareness campaign and individual support, we can create a stronger Rhode Island and have a lasting effect on our agricultural, farming, fisheries, and forestry community. We will collect identified data points such as numbers served, quality of the interventions and impact on individuals. With this project, we have a unique opportunity to unite both the FFF community and providers to come together and collaborate to address mental health, stress, and suicide prevention. With this funding we can improve the resiliency of the FFF community, build relationships and support the growth and sustainability of the FFF community in Rhode Island.

OBJECTIVES: Goal 1Establish a FRSAN-RI network of stakeholders and advocates who will work together to support the mental health and wellness of the Farm, Fisheries and Forestry (FFF) community in RI.Output 1: Provide .5 FTE to establish FRSAN-RI network, bringing together representatives from the farming, fishing and forestry communities as well as other advocates.Output 2: Provide .5 FTE to manage the project and ensure compliance and consistency.Output 3: Conduct monthly meetings of the FRSAN-RI network, with additional sub-committee meetings scheduled as needed.Output 4: Work with the Ri State Department of Agriculture to ensure that all stakeholders are part of the network and invite additional entities as appropriate.Goal 2Conduct a needs assessment to determine additional resources or support that may be necessary to support the FFF community.Output 1: Contract with a vendor to design and deliver a needs assessment of root causes of stress, current mental health and wellness and knowledge of resources in the FFF community.Output 2: Analyze results of needs assessment and develop a plan to address any needs not already addressed in the plan.Output 3: Develop a communication plan to share both the availability of the assessment as well as the outcomes.Output 4: Share data from the needs assessment with appropriate partners.Goal 3Provide direct support to the FFF community to help to reduce the root causes of stress.Output 1: Members of the FFF community will access Coastline EAP services to provide immediate, 24/7 access to support in the areas of crisis management, legal issues and mental health and wellness.Output 2: Members of the FFF community will access Small Business Development Council (SBDC) resources to address legal, financial, succession planning and other root causes of stress.Output 3: Members of the FFF community will identify specific support that will help to either reduce root causes of stress or manage current stress- and will be able to access that support.Output 4: Members of the marginalized FFF community (including BIPOC, women, LGBTQ+, immigrants) will receive specific support designed to address their unique stressors. This may include support for apprentice programs, mentor programs, access to farmers markets and the like.Output 5: Members of the Fisheries community will receive direct support through the Commercial Fisheries Council of RI to provide training and education on mental health and wellness, apprentice programs and other immediate needs.Goal 4Provide training to the FFF community, agricultural service providers and other stakeholders to improve the support system in the state.Output 1: Members of the FFF community will participate in the Farm Coaching program designed to develop skills in communication, conflict resolution and business planning.Output 2: Members of the FFF Community, agricultural service providers and other stakeholders will participate in the Stronger Together training designed to increase awareness and knowledge of warning signs of mental stress as well as resources for support.Output 3: Members of the FFF Community will receive training in digital literacy and technology in to assist with completing on-line paperwork and communicating with potential vendors and customers.Goal 5Promote the existence of the FRSAN-RI network and other resources to improve the mental health and wellness of the FFF community in RI.Output 1: Increase awareness of resources. Utilize social media, print media, radio ads and sessions at educational events. Members of the FFF community will increase their knowledge of resources available to assist them in addressing the root cause of some of their mental health issues.Output 2: Create a website that will house all resources and contact information for the FRSAN-RI network.

APPROACH: METHODSEffortsAs described in previous sections, multiple efforts will be used to reach our target audiences. These are further described below:Establish a FRSAN-RI networkStrategically bring individuals together in a group to maximize impact.Conduct Needs AssessmentReach out to the FFF community to identify root causes of stress and ways to manage stressConduct trainingProvide training for individuals specific to their needs in an effort to increase understanding and knowledge that will lead to behavior change.Provide access to resourcesOffer direct support to the FFF community to minimize or eliminate the root causes of stressCommunicate about opportunitiesAdvertise through available networks, utilize social media to communicate the availability of support.EvaluationWe recognize that the nature of the subject and our approaches will make collecting data challenging for some portions.The needs assessment will be developed by experts in the field, and will serve as the basis for data collection.To measure the impact of outreach efforts to alert the FFF community about educational and direct technical assistance resources, we will analyze website and social media analytics. This will include resources downloaded, time spent per page, number of resources opened, unique views, referred links, and search engine terms.To measure the impact of efforts to support the FFF community with direct resources, we will analyze participation metrics. This will include number of inquiries, referrals and actual usage of said resources.To measure the impact of efforts to alert the FFF community through technical assistance, we will analyze participation metrics. EAP services, SBDC services and Digital Literacy services will all be tracked via individual organizations and the data compiled for a complete assessment.To measure the impact of educational training programs, we will utilize pre- and post-tests to assess increases in knowledge, skills, attitude changes and awareness. The tool will also document participant intentions for actions and/or behavior changes. This data will let us document whether the intended impacts of our efforts were met. Finally, we will ask program participants what additional resources or assistance they need to achieve their intended actions.All of the data collected will allow us to redirect funds if a specific category or categories have greater need.At the end of the grant cycle, we will conduct surveys using electronic, anonymous methods. This survey will collect information on actions taken as a result of this project, knowledge and skills gained, and impact to the individual completing the survey. The survey will also ask for feedback on how to address remaining needs, and suggestions for other supports that would build FFF mental health and resilience.

PROGRESS: 2021/09 TO 2023/12
Target Audience:FRSAN-RI has been re-branded Land & Sea Together (L&ST), which is dedicated to building a network of services & opportunities to reduce stress for fisheries, forestry, & farming (FFF) enterprises, workers, & their families in Rhode Island. Since the inception of the NIFA grant until December 31, 2023, we have made great strides in reaching these target audiences. The backbone of our network is our steering committee, for which we have pulled together 25 organizations across the state in the fields of Agriculture, Forestry, & Fisheries/Aquaculture to advise our work. This committee has 25+ members, & has met virtually every other month since Dec 2021, for a total of 10 sessions. In addition to the steering committee, we have formed 5 working groups, with a total of 20 members across groups, having had 16 meetings total. We are also in close contact with partners who are not currently a part of the steering committee, but are integral to these industries such as NRCS & FSA. Farmers: L&ST has created a website, social media presence, newsletter, blog, & print materials to keep farmers informed. We have also tabled or visited 50 in-person events or farmers markets, as well as going to 10 farms in-person. Fisheries & Aquaculture: L&ST has created a website, social media presence, newsletter, blog, & print materials to keep fisheries & aquaculture communities informed. We have also attended or visited 10 events/sites in-person that are related to the seafood industry. Forestry: L&ST has created a website, social media presence, newsletter, blog, & print materials to keep foresters informed. We have also presented/tabled at 2 events related to the forestry field. Our outreach through digital outreach has also yielded strong results: Through L&ST's email list (502 emails on our list, to which 14 newsletters have been sent) Social media: Instagram & Facebook (1,015 combined followers: estimated 25% local FFF individuals, 12% local agriculture/social services organizations, 4% regional partners, & 59% TBD, with a reach of 7,932, through 175 posts, 202 stories, & 2,810 profile views combined across platforms) L&ST website, which since its creation in July has already had over300 users with 8,000 pageviews as of December 31, 2023. Through our network of partners- Together, our partners can reach approximately 4,000 agriculture, aquaculture, forestry & food systems emails, & a combined social media following of over 35,000. These partners consistently share our info on their websites, newsletters, & social media. Web-based education: We have offered 2 info sessions about what benefits are available through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that we have contracted with to support these FFF communities. The attendance was low, but the first session was recorded & shared on our website. We partnered with NRCS, DEM, & FSA to host a well-attended (30 person) Q&A & info session to address the severe drought in the growing season this summer. We offered 2 virtual sessions on Better Bookkeeping & Farm Employment law basics for RI farmers through partnerships with the Carrot Project & Farm Commons. Both sessions were recorded & are available for download. We attempted to host a Farm Succession webinar but for various reasons decided to cancel with plans to continue a separate session in 2024. We offered an info session on the RI Technical Assistance grant through the RI Skills Hub. We offered stipends to participants of the RIFPC business incubator cohort. We hosted a Climate resilience webinar with the Young Farmer Network. In-person education: We have held one training for fisheries & aquaculture leadership in QPR (suicide prevention training) in partnership with a local health agency. This training had four industry leaders present. Fact Sheets- We have created four industry-specific "Resource Guides" available for free download on our website. We currently are engaging with 5+ organizations that are either BIPOC &/or LGBTQIA+ led, or serve BIPOC farmers. We have been visiting farms & volunteering to build relationships & to learn what their unique needs are in order to shape our programming to serve their aims. We host a BIPOC working group. The resources provided through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) are available in English, Spanish, & Portuguese, with the option for free interpretation for other languages. This work is a key element to our program. We have met with organizations such as L& For Good, the Carrot Project, Farm Commons, Legal Food Hub, Washington County Health Equity Zone, the Galilee Mission, the Johnnycake Center, Fishing Partnership, New Engl& Young Fishermen's Alliance, & more to support the FFF community in the areas of legal, financial, tax, mental health, & business management. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?QPR training We have held one training for fisheries & aquaculture leadership in QPR (suicide prevention training) in partnership with a local health agency. This training had four industry leaders & one internal staff present. Mediation training For professional development, three internal staff were trained in Mediation. Farm Transition Coordinator Training For professional development, one internal staff was trained in Farm Transition Coordination, a certificate course with IFTN Stronger Together For professional development, four internal staff were trained in Stronger Together. Peer to Peer Network Training For professional development, two internal staff were trained in better listening and conflict resolution How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have completed our Needs Assessment report & have gathered feedback from our Micro Grants recipients. We received feedback from our steering committee on Dec. 7, & the final report was completed by the end of December 2022. The outreach strategy included an email newsletter, a "forward friendly" email to our partners to include in their newsletters, social media posts that showed the data in visual infographics, as well a virtual webinar to discuss the results in January 2023. We are awaiting the publishing of a press release we drafted. We received the results of our new follow up survey in January 2024. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to focus our efforts on the following: Farm Succession & transition planning Peer Network Support training Outreach & promotion of the Help Line with Coastline EAP Applying for further funding of our program

IMPACT: 2021/09 TO 2023/12
What was accomplished under these goals? Evident in our survey of RI farmers, fisheries & forestry workers, there is a strong need for accessible mental health resources. Stress around the country is high, counselors are hard to find, healthcare is limited, & seasonal workers lack benefits. Access to 12 free counseling sessions & social support is an unprecedented resource for RI's FFF workers. 60 people called our 24/7 Help Line since July 2022, receiving over 300 hours of support from EAP staff. From a farmer: "I'd been looking for a therapist for months & couldn't find a provider who would call me back - or take my health insurance. Coastline took care of the whole search, & were responsive & sympathetic, which was such a relief in the middle of the growing season." Additional Accomplishments 25 organizations in FFF communities met every other month since Dec 2021, for a total of 10 sessions. 3 Farms directly working with L&ST staff on farm succession planning 3 farmers recieving funds to work on farm succession planning, legal fees, etc. Local farmers starting process of farm succession planning for the future Completed part 1 of a Peer to Peer Network training modeled after Farm First VermontPeer Network program 2 Individuals trained Training materials 3 Virtual trainings sessions 8 individuals from farming, fishing, and aquaculture trained FFF comunity will have access to speak with peers who are trained in conflict management, skilled listening, and equipped with referral resources for mental health and stress Local news article published online article about the program L&ST website, created July 2022 has had over 3,500 users

PUBLICATIONS (not previously reported): 2021/09 TO 2023/12
No publications reported this period.